What Is the Air Quality in Hughes, South Dakota?

Hughes, South Dakota earns an A — it is among the cleanest U.S. cities tracked by EPA monitoring, with median AQI averaging just 13 over the past five years. Days in the "Good" category dominate the calendar; air-quality alerts are rare.

Hughes, South Dakota's 5-year median AQI of 13 is 28 points below the national average of 41 — meaningfully cleaner than the typical U.S. metro tracked here. Within South Dakota, Hughes, South Dakota runs cleaner than the state average of 36 — a positive signal that local conditions (terrain, wind patterns, emission sources) are working in residents' favor.

For context within South Dakota: Brown, South Dakota currently holds the state's cleanest grade (B, AQI 26), while Codington, South Dakota sits at the bottom (D, AQI 40).

Air quality in Hughes, South Dakota has been improving over the past decade, with median AQI dropping by roughly 1.3 points per year. That is consistent with the broader national pattern — most U.S. metros have seen steady reductions in particulate and ozone pollution since the 2010s as cleaner vehicles and power plants come online.

In 2015, Hughes, South Dakota posted a median AQI of 21. By 2023 that figure was 14 — a drop of 7 AQI points cleaner across 9 years of EPA records.

Across the past five years, this area has logged just 10 days where AQI rose into the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" range or worse — about 2 days per year, or roughly one every other month. That is a low count by national standards.

For most healthy adults, current air quality in this area does not require any change in behavior. People with severe asthma, COPD, or recent cardiac events should still keep an eye on daily AQI alerts, especially during wildfire season. Because PM2.5 penetrates deep into the lungs and bloodstream, an N95 or KN95 mask provides meaningful protection on smoky or high-particulate days — surgical masks do not.